HD Footage looks blurry in SD Sequence

So this may be a very simple question, or it may not. I'm almost entirely switched over from Final Cut Pro to Adobe Premiere Pro CS5. So far there are some really amazing things about Premiere that I'm very impressed with.
I have run into an issue where I shot some footage for another company in AVCHD 1080p 30fps (footage is inside a 60i container) and when I drop it into an NTSC 4:3 sequence and zoom in to about 135 percent it looks extremely blurry (the client requires the final cut to be NTSC 4:3). In Final Cut Pro, I've shot in 1080 HD plenty of times then just dropped it into an SD sequence, adjusted the scale and position, and was able to work in the SD sequence from that point on. While the end result would not look quite as sharp as the original 1080 HD footage, it still looked quite good (better than much of my footage shot in SD). Since the HD footage is shot in a much higher resolution than 720x480 I was able to zoom into close to 150 percent without seeing any significant fuzziness in the image. So now that I'm zooming in about 135 percent, I'm very surprised to see the amount of blurriness that I'm seeing. I've tried rendering the footage and exporting the footage and i still get the same blurriness.
Below are some still images I exported from the footage
Above is a still image from the original HD footage in a 1080 HD sequence
This second image is from the HD footage in a 720x480 sequence at 100% scale
This third image is from the HD footage in a 720x480 sequence at 135% scale
As you can see, the third image looks very blurry. When exporting from FCP the image would generally be at least as sharp as the second image even when at 135% or 150% scale.
Is there a better way to edit HD footage in an SD sequence in order to not lose so much detail? Should I nest the footage and then drag the nested HD sequence into the SD sequence? Or is there something else going on that I'm just not aware of?
Thanks so much for your help!
Mike S.
Adobe Premiere Pro CS5, Macbook Pro 15", Intel Core Duo i7 2.2 GHz Quad Core, 8 GB RAM, 24" HP 2509b Monitor, M-Audio Fast Track to Yamaha MSP3 4" Powered Monitor Speakers

Hi Mike,
When you initially drop the HD clip into the SD sequence, are you seeing the whole image in the frame, or just a blown up middle part? If you are enabling "Auto Scale to Frame Size" in Preferences, or manually on the clip BEFORE scaling, this could be the issue. Right-click on the clip and make sure "Scale to Frame" is off, then scale using Motion effect to suit your needs. This way, you are starting out with all the HD pixels available, so when you scale up, the picture should remain sharp as you are viewing a subset of the larger HD image in your SD "window".
Looking at your sample images again, I think that is the case - it is being scaled down to SD, then blown up again using Scale, and that is where the loss is coming from.
Jeff Pulera
Safe Harbor Computers

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SD footage looks Bad in timeline and on Export

Hi there
Let me start by saying that this Forum is amazing, I read through pages of stuff looking for something kind of similar to my question but come accross tons of really useful stuff that I just can't help myself from reading. You guys truly are a mind of knowledge, some of which I haven't a clue about to start with, but I am learning...
Anyway, on to my query.
I work in Prem Pro CS4 and also use Encore and AME.
All my updates are up to date and I work on a struggling system (dual core. P4. 32 bit Vista Home, 4GB mem, ATI video card (512mb) Its a couple of years old, but handle SD footage ok.
I often get asked to shoot Weddings, Bands & Events (I'm no professional, just a keen ameteur). I shoot this footage mainly in SD (PAL) using a Sony HDRFX1 & and HDR-SR12e.
Okay, so i know there is a difference in Picture clarity at source. the FX1 out performs the SR12 easily, and so this is used for the odd cut away and not the main event.
When I import my footage into PP, all looks OK with the FX1 footage, but the SDR footage is really blurred (out of focus) and washed out. Though playing it back through the Camera or hooked up to a TV, it doesn't look half bad.
So, what am I doing wrong? Why is PP making this footage look horrible and even making the FX1 footage look rather un loveable.
This is the case in Both the Preview window (Highest Quality) and when I export to file or DVD.
I have exported to Verbatim discs (This has made a slight difference) using Encore (using both Dynamic link and exporting as an AVI).
I don't touch transcoding setting, I let Encore sort that out.
I see talk of Codecs - I use mostly the Mpg2 DVD "Main Concept Codec" as my stuff ultimatley ends up on a disc (no other codecs are available to me) - Should i be looking for a better one? - But surely this won't make the footage any clearer in the Preview window in anycase.
Maybe I am Importing it wrongly, as the SDR is a HDD, I just import the usual way... So I can't see i am doing anything wrong there.
I understand that this is a large post and I have so many questions about getting it right. But my main problem is the end product just doesn't quite live up to my expectations, or as it looks on the Camera (or playing from the camera on a 40inch Bravia) before importing in to PP.
I have tried playing the DVDs back through several DVD players and Monitors, it looks virtually the same.
Any suggestions as to improving this would be greatly appreciated.

No problems Harm
I appreciate you taking the time to help me out with this issue.
Let me go through what I do, hopefully you can pick any holes.
I import from FX1 via capture in PP - usuing the DV preset (No option to change except for HDV) - you referred to "capture in MS DV AVI type2" but I have no option to chage any setting. It's either DV or HDV.
I import the Footage from the SDR via Sony PMB (Picture Motion Bridge) and then import into PP using the double click on project panel method, then set up a series of BINS to make it all very tidy.
I then use 1 sequence and sync up the footage, then just use keyframes to mix in and out where required.
This is all in 720x576 PAL
The quality problems are noticable in the preview window (Set to highest quality)
To test if this is really what I am going to end up with at the end of my project I have exported as an AVI file and played it on my PS3. The footage still looks washed out, Blurry etc.
I have also expoted to a DVD via Encore using Dynamic Link and importing a renederd file and palyed this back on both a Toshiba DVD (upscaler) and PS3. I have also tested it on A Sony Plasma (Though this actually makes it more washed out but a smoother feel) also through a Bravia 30" LCD (this looks the same).
Also played back on PC using VLC, WMP, Nero & Media Player Classic - all give very similar results.
However, playing the files direct from the Camcorder give a different impression. The footage, whilst not as pretty as High Def, is what you expect from a Single Chip handy Cam.
I will say one thing, the footage is clearer when viewed in PMB (Sonys Picture Motion Bridge)

What project preset do I use? AVCHD and DSLR footage being used in same sequence

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Hello!
Im having difficulty in final cut pro, My captured footage looks absolutely terrible on the timeline and when its exported it’s in 4:3 and looks squished, What is the BEST outcome I can setup with this footage, Im a tad naive when it comes to codec’s etc, I literally have two days to get this project completely done and im really struggling on what settings I need as my two source materials are different size’s codecs etc.
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http://i.imgur.com/fs6D7.jpg

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hello all. I'm having a problem putting HD 1080i PAL footage onto an NTSC SD DVD. The best result I've had so far is with Compressor's HD-DVD-MPEG2-30-minute settings. But still there is streaking. The footage degenerates into horizontal bars when there is significant camera motion. (the same footage looks fine when viewed in final cut.)
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Hi Mike,
When you initially drop the HD clip into the SD sequence, are you seeing the whole image in the frame, or just a blown up middle part? If you are enabling "Auto Scale to Frame Size" in Preferences, or manually on the clip BEFORE scaling, this could be the issue. Right-click on the clip and make sure "Scale to Frame" is off, then scale using Motion effect to suit your needs. This way, you are starting out with all the HD pixels available, so when you scale up, the picture should remain sharp as you are viewing a subset of the larger HD image in your SD "window".
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Hi everybody
Hope someone can help me out on this one.
I have to incorporate standard definition footage 720x576 PAL 25fps, in my HD sequence 1920x1080 25fps (my HD is XDCAM EX 1080p25 in .mov files)
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Unfortunately I don't have a cool AJA Xena 2KE to do the upconversion via hardware
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hi joe
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It's a pretty discomforting thing trying to mix SD and HD!
And in the end we end up with an IMX tape
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Why do my photos get blurry when they are enlarged to full screen from the disc I burn, or played on the t.v.? I set the burn on the highest quality. The photos don't look blurry when enlarged from iphoto on the computer.

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Well, here is a post telling the same issue:
http://www.bit-101.com/blog/?p=2391
No solution thou, except of precatching matrixes.

HD Footage looks blurry in SD Sequence

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